Venus Williams hints at return to tennis in 2023 amidst retirement speculation
Venus Williams' uncertain break from tennis after the 2022 US Open led many fans to speculate if she had silently retired from the sport. However, Williams has put an end to those rumors by suggesting a return to action soon.
In a recent video on her YouTube channel, the seven-time Grand Slam champion talked about her plans for the future. Williams stated that she would like to play again and that she would soon let the fans know "exactly when" her return would be.
"A lot of people have been asking me... 'are you gonna play again?' I love tennis and I would like to play again and I will let you know exactly when," Williams said.
The 42-year-old has been seen focusing more on her business ventures lately, having stayed away from tennis since early September. That in turn has strengthened retirement suspicions in the minds of tennis fans.
But Venus Williams has now revealed that she took to the practice courts right after her disappointing women's doubles first-round defeat at the 2022 US Open.
"I've been honestly hitting the court a lot and let me tell you when I hit the court... right after the doubles match that we played at the US Open. I immediately booked the court the next day and I went to every single practice in New York. I hit indoors and I've been hitting ever since," Williams said.
TENNIS UPDATE! 😍
This makes me so happy!
2023 here we come!
#venuswilliams #veelievers #comeback https://t.co/kitFAIps98
"I've been working on slicing" - Venus Williams on preparing for her return to action
Venus Williams hopes to make her return to tennis eventful, and she has been working hard on different shots lately. She is looking to better her forehand and serve in particular, as she considers those "the most important shots" in tennis.
"I've been actually working a lot of things, mainly, my forehand. Probably one of the most important shots. My serve, THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOT in tennis is your serve. So folks, if you're a tennis player, get a good serve, get a big serve," Williams said.
The five-time Wimbledon champion also stated that she rarely used the slice during her prime days and that she has improved on that of late through relentless practice sessions.
"I've been working on slicing. I sliced like once per year in a match and I played a point yesterday and sliced about four times. It was a world record for me, not for anybody else," she joked.